Twist of Fate
by BubblyShell22
Summary: As I gazed at the little ones surrounding me, I realized that though I had lost my beloved Master Yoshi, I had gained five lives to care for and nurture. This was an unusual twist of fate but one I decided to accept.
1. Chapter 1

Twist of Fate

Chapter 1: Small Miracles

A/N: This little plot bunny came into my head last night. Seriously, I wish these bunnies would leave me alone as I have so many other stories to work on already. So, we all know about the fifth turtle and how that story was handled on the show. Well, I've decided to put my own spin on the story of how the Turtles would be different if they had a little sister. I know many other authors have attempted this themselves, and I wanted to do so myself and put my own spin on it. I hope that you enjoy this story and that you at least give it a chance.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or anyone associated with them. I do own the OC in this story.

Summary: As I gazed at the little ones surrounding me, I realized that although I had lost my beloved Master, I had gained five lives to care for and nurture. This was an unusual twist of fate but one that I decided to accept.

I was lost. That was the only feeling to describe how I felt at that moment. My beloved Master Yoshi had been cruelly taken away from me, and I did not know how I would go on. I did not want to live anymore without him. I almost wished a cat would come and eat me. At least it would be a quick death and painless for me. I was wandering the streets, unsure of what I was supposed to do. Where could I go? What could I do?

But then a disturbance reached me, causing my fur to raise in alarm. A truck was careening out of control, and a blind man was walking along the street, oblivious to the danger. The tires' screeching assaulted my ears, and I longed to save the man who was most likely about to be killed just as my Master had been killed, without warning and with no way to fight back. It was then that a young boy darted out in the street and pushed the man out of the way of the truck. The bowl he had been handling fell out of his hands and crashed to the pavement, and the objects inside were swept away toward the sewers.

I do not know what caused me to do it, but instinct told me to save these young lives. I followed them into the sewer and nearly got hit by a passing canister that fell from the truck. I dodged it skillfully, but the objects in the bowl were not so lucky. The canister smashed over them, and I was afraid that they had been hurt. Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were five young turtles, though I hardly recognized them because of the substance that covered them.

I picked each one up, wiping the substance off of them. Of course, it stuck to my own fur, and I had such a time trying to get it off. Once I succeeded at that task, I gathered the little ones up in an old coffee can and proceeded to roll it further along. I found a safe place where I knew we would be protected and pushed the coffee can into that spot. The little ones were crying, and I knew they wanted me to get them out of their prison of sorts, so I picked each one up and set it on the ground.

As I gazed at the little ones surrounding me, I knew that even though I had lost my beloved Master Yoshi, I had gained five young lives to care for and nurture. I did not know how I would do it, but I would do my best. This was an unusual twist of fate but one that I decided to accept.

22222

As the weeks passed, something extraordinary was happening to all of us. By the time I woke up the next day, I found that the turtles had doubled in size and that I, too, was growing as well. I was amazed by this and could not understand how it had happened. I knew that I would have to scavenge for food for the little ones, but I did not know what they ate. I decided the best way to find out was to try and find as much food as I can. I ushered the little ones to a safe alcove just in case the sewer workers came upon them and signaled that they were to stay there. They looked puzzled, so I decided to try and form words. I was not sure if I could speak, but I knew that I had to do something to make them understand.

"St-ay," I sounded out. I remembered many words my Master Yoshi had spoken to me, and recalled what he often said when he had to leave on a mission. "I wi-ll re-turn." Then I hurried away to find food for my little ones.

As I navigated my way through the sewers, I realized that I was a lot bigger than I had been before, and it would be difficult for me to conceal myself as easily as it had been in my true rat form. Nevertheless, I remembered the lessons my Master Yoshi had taught me about the art of ninjitsu and felt that perhaps I could use these lessons to aid me in my search for food.

Luckily, it was dark when I ventured to the surface, and I was able to stay in the alleys. There were a few homeless people here and there, but they paid me no mind. I scavenged trash receptacles outside of restaurants, hoping that I could find something suitable for my little ones. I knew that most of the food would hardly be edible, but there were no options for me at the time. It was while searching through one of the trash receptacles that I came upon an abandoned trench coat and hat. I smiled as I knew that this would help me to conceal my appearance better. I put on the coat and saw that it hid my body well and that I was able to wrap my tail inside one of the inner pockets. It was a bit uncomfortable for me, but it would have to do. The hat was a little large, and I knew that it would be hard for me to hide my ears, but I managed to do so after a few attempts.

Satisfied with my disguise, I decided to venture to one of the soup kitchens. Here, I was given a good quantity of food to last me for a few days. I was a bit apprehensive when I entered, afraid that someone would discover what I was, but no one said anything about my appearance. Taking that as a good sign, I thanked everyone in Japanese for their generosity and left with my packages. I hurried back to the alleyway I had come out of and wondered how I would be able to carry my packages with me. I decided that I would have to make a few trips up and down to carry everything down to the sewer and did so. It was a bit difficult, but I managed, though I almost dropped one of the packages.

When I arrived home, I was afraid my little ones had left me, but then I heard a small cry and saw one of them coming toward me. I put my packages down and embraced the small turtle, rubbing its shell in a comforting way. The baby quieted and then looked at the packages I had brought down. Though it could not speak yet, it sniffed the air and smelled the food that was tucked inside.

I put the turtle down and rummaged in one of the packages until I came up with a loaf of bread. The young turtles were small, but I did not know what they would eat at the age that they were. The other turtles also smelled the food and came hurrying over to see what I had. I broke the bread in small pieces and first fed it to the olive green turtle I held in my arms. The turtle nibbled at the bread then spat it out. I was confused as I did not know what to feed them. I tried to feed bread to the others, but they also spat it out. Apparently, they were not ready for such food. I looked for something else and settled on a can of baby food, applesauce to be precise. I had no spoon, so I dipped my finger into the jar and gave it to the baby turtle. The young one licked the applesauce off my finger, and I braced myself to see if he or she (I did not know their gender at this point) would spit it out. Luckily, the young turtle swallowed it and then asked for more with a little cry. I gave the turtle more until he or she could eat no more. Then I gave the others some applesauce and saw that they liked it as well. I gave them milk to drink, once again using my finger as I had no glasses or a bottle for them to suck on. They all drank the milk greedily, happy to have something to drink.

I soon learned what food my children preferred and which ones they did not like at all. I remembered each time and reminded myself which foods they liked the most, though sometimes I would forget and be reminded when one of them spit out some food. In time, they grew used to foods such as bread and meat, though we did not have meat that often because I sometimes could not get fresh meat for them. Of course, they grew even more than they had at first, and I was amazed at how fast it happened. They even began to make more sounds, and I could tell that they were trying to speak. I, too, had learned to speak properly while listening to the humans on the surface and could soon speak English fairly well, though I did stumble once in a while.

Because the turtles were growing, I had to move my burrow a few times because it became too small to accommodate all of us. I began taking the turtles on walks and pointing out certain things, trying to get them to speak. I could tell that they were trying, but they were having a hard time doing so. Then, one day, the olive green turtle spoke my name. I was amazed and urged him (I could tell he was a male by the voice) to speak again. He did so, pointing to me and looking at the others. I was astounded by this small step, even more astounded than when the turtles had begun walking on two legs instead of four.

After that, all of the turtles began talking, though not all at once. The last turtle had a bit of a hard time speaking, but she soon learned. I knew that I would have to give them names so that I could tell them apart more easily. On one of my scavenging missions, I discovered an old book on Renaissance artists that had been discarded. I picked it up and took it with me. The turtles crowded around me, wondering what I had. I explained that it was a book and that we could look at it together. It was in this book that I found the names for my children.

It was while I was reading the book that my children grew tired. I marked my place and began getting them ready for bed. I picked up the basic green turtle and kissed him on the forehead.

"I love you, Leonardo," I said to him. "May you have sweet dreams." Then I tucked him into the small nest I had made for them and made sure he was warm.

I then repeated the ritual for Raphael (the dark green turtle), Donatello (the olive green turtle), Michelangelo (the blue green turtle), and Lucia (the spring green turtle). I gazed upon my little ones and prayed to Master Yoshi that I would be able to care for them for many years. After reading a bit more in the book I had found, I settled down beside my children and hoped that their dreams would carry over into mine.

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. I wasn't sure what to name the fifth turtle, so I decided to do some research on female Renaissance artists and decided to call her Lucia. What do you think? Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Blossoms

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I've decided to alternate the point of views with each chapter. The odd numbered chapters will be Splinter's POV, and the even numbered chapters will be in Lucia's POV. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far. It means a lot to me that you're taking a chance on this.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

While growing up, I have always been close with my brothers, though I've often felt that Raphael hated me for some reason. It was just in the way he talked to me sometimes that made me think he really didn't like me and didn't want me there. Maybe it was because I was the only girl in the family, or maybe it was some other reason. I thought about this for a few years until Daddy set me right one day. We were bored and looking for something else to do.

"Let's play superheroes!" Mikey suggested.

My face lit up. "Yeah, we can have loads of fun with that," I agreed.

"Lucy, you can't play," Raph told me.

I was puzzled. "Why not?" I asked him.

"Because you're a girl," he replied. "Girls can't be superheroes."

"They can so!" I countered. "Girls can do anything they want!"

"No, they can't," he insisted. "Superheroes are boys. You can be the damsel in distress 'cause that's usually what the girls are."

"I don't wanna be the damsel in distress," I told him. "I wanna be a superhero."

"Raph, let her play," Leo commanded.

"No, she's a girl," he said. "Back off, Leo."

"Raph, Lucy can play with us," Mikey said. "She can be Wonder Woman." He showed Raph the comic that Daddy had gotten for us to illustrate his point.

Raph looked at it and sighed. "Okay, Lucy, you can be Wonder Woman," he said resignedly. I could tell he wasn't happy about it though.

After our game was over, I decided to go to Daddy's room and tell him my worries about Raph hating me. I knocked on the door and was told to come in. I could see Daddy was sitting with his legs crossed and candles surrounding him.

"Come sit with me, Lucia," he said.

I gasped. "How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"I could tell by your footsteps," he replied. "Now, what is troubling you, little one?"

I sat across from him and looked him in the eye. "Raph hates me," I told him.

"And what makes you think that?" he asked me.

"He talks differently around me," I answered. "When we were playing superheroes, he said I couldn't play 'cause I'm a girl. Why does he hate me, Daddy?"

Daddy gave me a sweet smile. "My little Lucia, he does not hate you," he said. "When he said that you could not play superheroes, he did not know that women could be superheroes as well."

"But he doesn't think I can do anything," I insisted. "He thinks that just 'cause I'm a girl, I'm weak. He said I couldn't climb that pipe last week and that I'd slip and fall. But I showed him and climbed it anyway."

Daddy laughed. "Your brother may not realize that you can do many things he can do as well," he said. "But I must warn you not to try to climb pipes anymore. You are lucky you were not hurt. I will speak to him about daring you to do such things."

"So, you don't think he hates me, Daddy?" I asked him.

"No, he does not, my daughter," he replied. "He loves you very much even if he may not show it in his actions or words. You know that he often hides his emotions."

I couldn't help but trust Daddy's words. I knew he wouldn't lie to me about anything. "Okay, Daddy," I said. "So what should I do if he makes fun of me again?"

"I would ignore him, my daughter," he replied. "You know he does this only to make you angry and retaliate back. Pay it no mind."

"Okay," I said. "Thanks, Daddy." Then I hurried back into the living room and continued playing with my brothers.

From that time on, I tried my best to ignore Raph, but sometimes it was hard. It became bad again after we began training to become ninjas.

It all started one day after Daddy had gone on a scavenging mission. He came back and told us that we would be making a trip to Japan to see a man called The Ancient One. He had a pot with him with a lid on it. It was very pretty with different designs on it.

"What's that, Daddy?" I asked him.

"It is called an urn," he replied. "Sometimes, a dead body is burned, and the ashes are stored in an urn to preserve it."

"Is there a dead body in there now?" Mikey asked, craning his neck to see if he could look in the pot, but it was sealed shut.

"Did you murder somebody?" Raph asked him.

"Yes, Michelangelo, there is a body in here," he answered. "No, Raphael, I did not murder anyone. This urn carries the body of my Master Yoshi. Some friends of his found his ashes and gave them to me so that I can bury him. That is why we are going to Japan. We are going to take his ashes back and bury them properly."

"When are we going, Daddy?" Leo asked.

"Tonight," Daddy replied. "We will be leaving on a boat."

All of us were excited about the trip and kept talking about it and wondering what would happen. We had never been to Japan and were wondering what it would be like. Daddy told us as much as he could about Yoshi and his friend Teng Shen, who had died before Yoshi came to America. Raph asked how she died, and Daddy said that she had been sick.

"Was Yoshi sick, too?" I asked him.

"Yes, he became sick later," he replied, though he hesitated before he said it. I could tell he was lying, but I didn't ask him anything else as I was sure he wasn't going to tell us.

That night, we crept onto the boat and hid below deck. Daddy had brought stuff for us to do so we wouldn't get bored. Mikey colored, Don built with some blocks, Leo read a book, and I drew some pictures. Raph just sat, though at one point he took Mikey's crayon, causing him to cry. Daddy put a stop to that immediately. Then we heard a noise, and Daddy motioned for us to hide. From my hiding place I could hear footsteps and knew that a human was coming. I was scared for Daddy had told us all about the humans and how they wouldn't understand who we were. But I knew that Daddy was there and that he would protect us if anyone tried to hurt us. Soon, the footsteps faded, and Daddy gave us the signal that it was safe for us to come out.

"Who was that human?" I asked him.

"That was a security guard," he answered. "He was checking to make sure there were no stowaways on the boat."

"What's a stowaway?" Leo asked.

"Someone who sneaks onto something," Don replied. "I heard about it on TV."

"So we're stowaways, right?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, and that is why we must be quiet," Daddy told us. "We do not want to alert anyone to our presence here."

We nodded and continued with our play, though we made sure to be extra quiet. Seeing that human had really scared me, and I was afraid he would come back. Daddy reassured me that he wouldn't come back for a while and that he would alert us if he did.

"It will be all right, my little Lucia," he said gently.

"Fraidy cat," Raph muttered.

"You were scared, too, Raph," Leo reminded him.

"I was not!" Raph insisted. "I ain't scared of nothin'."

"Children, that is enough," Daddy chastised. "There is no shame in being afraid of anything. We all have fears, and the best thing to do is to master them."

After that, Daddy gave us our dinner. We wondered when we were going to be in Japan, and Daddy said that we would be there soon.

When we did arrive, we were awed by how beautiful it was. Daddy led us to the home of the Ancient One, who was Yoshi's father. He was surprised to see Daddy and was a bit confused as to who he was. Daddy explained why we had come, and the Ancient One seemed sad at the mention of Yoshi. Then I remembered that he was Yoshi's father and that he probably didn't know of Yoshi's death. He welcomed us into his home and began questioning Daddy about who he was and how he'd gotten that way.

"I must say, Splinter-san, your children are so cute," he said. "Have you trained them in the art of ninjitsu?"

"No, Ancient One, I have not," he answered. "I do not feel that they are ready yet."

"Come, Splinter-san, I trained Yoshi and Mashimi when they were their age," the Ancient One insisted. "It is never too early to train them. You can start with the basics and then train them in weapons when they are ready."

"I suppose you are right," Daddy relented. "Perhaps you would like to show them some basic moves so that they know how to do them. I am afraid that sometimes my balance is not the best due to my tail."

"That would be fine," the Ancient One said.

So, after we had eaten, the Ancient One took us to a room called the dojo and taught us a few moves. It was fun learning, even though it took us a few tries to learn the moves. Raph kept teasing me because I kept doing the punches wrong.

"Lucy, you can't be a ninja like in the movies," he said. "You're a girl."

"I can, too!" I retorted.

"No, you can't," he insisted. "You're too weak."

There he went again. Just because I was a girl didn't mean I couldn't be a ninja. Daddy had told me to ignore him, but I was sick of hearing those words. I hauled off and punched him in the face. He reeled backward and almost fell.

"Lucy, what was that for?" he asked.

"For calling me weak," I replied.

"Hamato Lucia, that was very rude!" Daddy chastised. "Apologize to your brother at once."

I didn't do it because I wasn't sorry. Raph deserved it. Instead I ran out of the dojo, tears falling from my eyes. I don't care what Daddy says, I thought. Raph hates me. I ran outside and sat down beside a cherry blossom tree, sobbing. I didn't care if Daddy punished me for what I did. I was sick of being treated like I couldn't do anything.

I heard footsteps and thought that maybe Daddy was coming to lecture me, but the footsteps were different than his. Curious, I lifted my head and saw the Ancient One staring at me. Great, now he was going to lecture me.

"Do not cry, little kame," he said gently. "It is all right."

"You're not mad at me?" I asked incredulously.

"No, I can understand why you would get angry," he answered. "But that does not excuse what you did, little one. You must learn to control your anger and ignore that which could harness it."

"Raph has a temper, too," I told him. "He gets angry all the time."

"Yes, and I believe he must learn the same lesson," the Ancient One replied. Then he leaned down and picked up a flower that had fallen from the tree I was sitting under. "Do you know what this is?"

"A flower," I answered.

"Yes, it is a cherry blossom," said the Ancient One. "Teng Shen loved the cherry blossom the best out of all the flowers. Do you think it is pretty?"

"Yes," I replied. "Do you think girls can be ninjas?"

The Ancient One chuckled. "Of course, girls can be ninjas," he said. "A kunoichi is a female ninja."

"Was Teng Shen a ninja, too?"

"No, she did not become a warrior like her brothers," responded the Ancient One. "She would sometimes watch practice but did not want to join in. She felt it was not ladylike to be a ninja. But I believe that if she had wanted to, she could have been a great warrior. She was very headstrong like you, little kame. When she was teased for being a girl, she acted the way that you did with Raphael. She proved that she could do anything her brothers could do."

I smiled at that. It made me feel good to know that Teng Shen was like me once. "Do you think I could be a ninja?"

He smiled. "Yes, I do," he said. "You have proven without a doubt that you can be a ninja by the way you practiced today. And even though it was not the right thing to do, you did execute a perfect punch today. Do not let what your brother says hinder you from anything. Prove to him with your actions that you can achieve anything without violence." He took my hand and placed the cherry blossom in it. "Here, take this. Look at it and remember Teng Shen when you have doubts about your abilities. It will help to guide you."

I clutched the cherry blossom in my hand, feeling the petals as they grazed my fingers. "Thank you, Ancient One," I said. "I'll always remember."

"Good," he said. "Now, let us go back inside, little kame."

I stood up and followed him back into the house. Daddy did give me a small lecture about controlling my temper and how I shouldn't use violence outside of practice. I nodded and promised that I wouldn't do it ever again.

We had a lot of fun at the Ancient One's home. We played outside and explored some of the rooms that we were allowed to play in. Some of the rooms were off-limits, and Leo made sure that none of us ventured that way. Despite this, I really enjoyed being in Japan and wished that we could stay here forever. I often sat at the cherry blossom tree and painted or read books. Sometimes I would just sit there and meditate, enjoying the wind on my skin and the blossoms that fell at my feet.

Daddy left us for a short time to take Yoshi's ashes to be buried alongside Teng Shen. I wanted to go with him, but he said that I needed to stay with my brothers. When he came back I went to him and gave him a hug, hoping it would make him feel better. He smiled at me and returned the hug, thanking me for my support.

On our last day, the Ancient One said he had a surprise for us. We were all excited and wondered just what this surprise was. He went into a room and came back with a box. He asked us to gather in the dojo and then lifted the lid to produce five pieces of cloth.

"What's that?" Mikey asked as he pointed at the fabric.

"These, Michelangelo, are your ninja masks," the Ancient One replied. "Warriors wear these with pride, and I would hope that the five of you will do the same. Though you are not yet fully trained ninjas, I have faith that you will become great warriors. I have asked your father to train you so that you may be able to defend yourselves against the outside world. Wear these masks well, kame. Leonardo, step forward."

Leo came forward and received a blue piece of fabric. The Ancient One tied the mask around Leo's head and smiled at him. Leo bowed in respect and then sat down at his place. One by one, the Ancient One called my brothers forward to receive their masks. I felt proud of them that they were given such an honor.

"Lucia, you are next," the Ancient One said after Mikey had received his orange mask. I stepped forward and was given a mask that was the exact color of the cherry blossoms. I smiled because I knew why the Ancient One had chosen that particular color. I stood still as he tied the fabric around my head. There were two slits for my eyes so that I could see, and the fabric felt really soft.

"Thank you, Ancient One," I whispered softly.

"You are welcome, little kame," he replied.

I bowed to him and then took my place beside my brothers. I felt honored that the Ancient One had allowed me to wear a mask like my brothers. I looked at them to see if they would say anything, but they said nothing about me having a mask. Even Raph looked like he was proud of me. I think Daddy may have said something to him about being nicer to me.

When it was time to leave, we said goodbye to the Ancient One. He waved to us as we left, and I looked back at him, hoping that we would see him again someday. As we departed for New York, I opened up my book and looked at the cherry blossom inside of it. I would always remember Teng Shen and how she was proof that girls could do anything if they really tried. I was determined to be a good ninja and to show that I wasn't weak or stupid just because I was a girl. One day, I would be a fierce warrior, and everyone would be amazed at my skill.

A/N: Wow. I can't believe this is eleven pages long. I didn't even plan on that. Well, the story's really getting ahead now, and I'm really excited to be writing it. Feel free to leave a review after you have finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sensei

A/N: Wow. I've gotten such a good reception to this story. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed this story so far. Your kind words and encouragement have made me feel really good and have motivated me to continue with this story. Thanks a million. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

After our visit to Japan, I began to train my children in the art of ninjitsu. I had been reluctant to teach them this art for I did not feel they were ready to learn it. However, the Ancient One urged me to do so because he felt that maybe they could become warriors. I decided that he was right and began to teach them ninjitsu the very next day after we arrived home. They were enthusiastic about learning and were eager to mimic my movements. Although I sometimes had a hard time balancing myself, I soon learned how to do so without my tail getting in the way.

"Are we gonna learn how to be ninja today, Daddy?" Michelangelo asked me on the day I was going to teach them.

"Yes, you are," I replied. "Please come with me." I led them to a room I had discovered when we first moved into our home and decided that it would be the dojo. I instructed my children that they had to bow first to show respect to the dojo and demonstrated so that they would know the proper way to do so.

"Like this?" Leonardo asked and bowed.

"Yes, nicely done, Leonardo," I praised him.

Lucia tried to bow but almost fell while attempting it. I steadied her and showed her how to do it again. She copied me and smiled when I praised her.

"Now, when we are in the dojo, you are to address me as sensei or master for that it was I am to you" I instructed them.

"You mean, we can't call you Daddy?" Lucia asked me.

I shook my head. "No, you must not call me Daddy in the dojo," I replied. "I am your teacher in the dojo, not your father. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei," the five of them replied.

"Good," I said. "Now, I will be teaching you the basic punching and kicking maneuvers first."

"What about the flips?" Raphael asked me. "All ninjas in the movies get to do cool flips off of buildings and stuff?"

"You will learn those later, Raphael," I told him. "First, you must learn the basics before mastering anything complex. Now, watch me." I then demonstrated a basic punching maneuver with my right paw. I repeated it a few times to aid my children and then asked them one by one to demonstrate it for me. Leonardo learned it quickly which made me very surprised. I did not think he would learn it that fast. Donatello had a bit of trouble at first, but he soon caught on. At first, Raphael was doing it wrong, so I had to repeat it again to show him how it was done. After watching me, he soon caught on. Michelangelo and Lucia had the worst time learning it though. Lucia grew frustrated with it until I gently guided her and told her not to get discouraged.

"It will come with practice, my little one," I assured her.

Michelangelo was not frustrated at all and simply laughed when he made mistakes. While I was glad he did not respond in anger to his misunderstandings, I did feel that he should not have dealt with it like it was a joke of some sort. Nevertheless, I decided not to reprimand him as I was busy trying to comfort Lucia. I then showed them the punching maneuver for the left arm and repeated the process. Once again, Leonardo learned it fairly quickly while the others had some mishaps at first. I guided them through it, and soon they were all learning it and doing very well.

After showing them some kicking moves, I decided that our first lesson was finished. My children were not happy about this, but I explained to them that they could not be worn out too much and that their muscles needed to rest. Before I dismissed them, I suggested that we meditate to clear our minds and settle our bodies.

"How do we do that?" Donatello asked.

I showed them how to sit in the lotus position by crossing my legs under me. They attempted it, and four of them almost fell over. I instructed them to try again, and they soon learned quickly. Then I told them to close their eyes and to focus on their breathing. "When you do this try not to think any thoughts. If a thought comes into your head try to block it by concentrating on your breathing."

I observed my students for a few minutes before settling into meditation myself. I could tell that some of them were not as thrilled about this exercise. Raphael and Michelangelo kept fidgeting instead of staying still. Lucia and Donatello looked as though they were trying but were frustrated that they were not getting any results. When I felt the session had gone on long enough, I called a halt, and everyone opened their eyes and looked at me.

"You have all done well today, my students," I told them. "Just remember that if a move does not come easily at first, it will come with practice later. We will meet again tomorrow for another lesson. You are dismissed."

They bowed to me and to the dojo as I had taught them and hurried out into the living room. Michelangelo and Raphael began to fight for the remote until Leonardo intervened. Donatello went off to build a block tower, and Lucia began to paint. I smiled as I watched my children and could not help but imagine the day when they would become fully trained ninjas. I went to my chambers and decided to read a book I had found the other day. I was fully engrossed in it when I heard a knock at my door and was a bit surprised.

"Enter," I said.

Lucia came in timidly and sat down across from me. "Daddy, do you really think I can become a ninja?" she asked me.

"Did Raphael say that you could not be one again?" I inquired.

She shook her head. "No, he didn't say anything," she replied. "I just wondered if you think I can do it. The moves are so hard sometimes."

"Yes, my little Lucia, I do believe you can become a ninja," I told her. "You are doing well in your lessons so far. Do not doubt yourself when you make a mistake. That is natural. I have made mistakes myself sometimes."

"You have?" She seemed shocked that I had said that.

I nodded. "Yes, I have," I answered. "When I was first learning after I became mutated, I tried to perform a kick and fell over my tail. I was very sore when that happened and became discouraged when I fell. But do you know what I did?"

"What?"

"I got up and tried again," I explained. "I fell a few times after that, but I soon learned how to balance with my tail and adjusted to it. That is what you must do as well, Lucia. You must keep trying, and soon you will learn as well. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Yes, Daddy, I do," she said. "I just gotta keep trying."

"That is right," I told her. "Just keep trying. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I do," she said. "Thanks, Daddy." She gave me a hug and then hurried out of my chambers.

I smiled as she left and thought about how I was always able to reassure her of her abilities. I knew that my Lucia would be a great warrior and would fight alongside her brothers. Together, they would vanquish the one who had killed my master and avenge his death. I felt guilty for not telling them the reason I was training them, but they were not yet old enough to truly understand. Once they were older, they would know the truth, but I made a promise to tell them once they had learned enough to do what I wanted them to do. I did not want them to grow up filled with hatred as I was, and I was determined that they would only know love as long as I could teach them. That was the most important thing to me at that time. They would know the horrors of the world later when they were better equipped to deal with such issues. I only hoped that they would not somehow be exposed to these horrors sooner.

A/N: So, now their training begins. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Kindred Spirit

A/N: You asked for it, now here it is. The Turtles will be fifteen in this chapter. Thanks for all of the kind reviews and responses to this story. It makes me feel good knowing that so many of you are enjoying this story and sticking with it. Thanks a million. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

I always thought I was the only girl for a long time. Sure, I knew about human girls, but I had never been around them to really count them as people in my life. That all changed when we met April O'Neil. We rescued her when she was attacked by a group of Mousers (the same creatures who had attacked our home and destroyed it). At first, we were all a little uncomfortable around her because of all the tales Splinter had told us about humans and what they could possibly do to us. But after we got to know April, it all changed. We soon realized that not all humans were out to get us and that some of them would actually accept us for who we were. At first, April thought she was having a weird dream, but she soon realized that wasn't the case.

After our first encounter with April, we began to relax. I often went to her apartment to just hang out and to talk with another female. It felt good because sometimes it would get to be too much with just the guys there. None of my brothers minded, except for Raph at first. He always warned me to be careful around April and to let him know if she tried to do anything to me. I was a bit puzzled by the advice, but I figured it was just Raph's way. He relaxed after we got to really know April and stopped giving me warnings about her.

One day, I was stuck on an idea for a painting, so I decided to go over to April's for some girl time. Mikey was already in trouble for trying to blow up Don's lab, and I couldn't stand Don's yelling anymore. I told Splinter where I was going and hurried over to my friend's apartment above her antique shop. I was worried she wouldn't be home, but there was a light on in her window, signaling that she was there. Smiling, I perched myself on her windowsill and quietly knocked.

April came to the window and opened it. "Hey, Lucy, I was wondering if you'd stop by today," she said. "How's it going?"

"Okay, I guess," I replied. "I just needed to get away for a while."

"The guys getting to be too much again?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. Mikey tried to blow up Don's lab by messing with his experiments. I swear, he's such a pyromaniac sometimes."

April laughed. "Yeah, I can see that," she replied. "Well, I'm glad you came over. Now we can have some girl time."

"Definitely," I agreed. "So, how are things going in the shop?"

"Good," she replied. "I have customers coming like you wouldn't believe. I never thought anyone would get interested in antiques. Most people could care less about old artifacts and things like that."

"Well, that's a good thing for you," I told her. "That means you're bringing in a good income."

"True," she agreed. "Okay, enough talk about our daily lives. Truth or dare?"

I smiled. I'd played this game many times before with Mikey, so I knew what to expect. "Truth," I replied.

"Who's your celebrity crush?" she asked.

"Nobody," I answered.

"Are you sure?" she asked slyly. "You don't have a crush on Johnny Depp?"

"Ew!" I said, wrinkling my nose. "He's too old and kind of creepy."

"Okay, how about Orlando Bloom?"

"Nope. He's good looking, but I don't have a crush on him."

"Wow, Lucy, I'm surprised," she said. "I would have thought you'd like at least one of the hunky guys."

"Well, I don't," I replied. "Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she answered.

"Do you have a crush on Don?" I asked.

"What?" she cried. "Why would you ask that?"

I shrugged. "I'm just curious," I replied.

"No, I don't have a crush on him," she said. "He's like the little brother I never had."

"Okay, fair enough," I said. "I just wanted to know."

"Whatever you say," April said with a shrug. "Okay, truth or dare?"

"Give me a dare this time," I said.

"Okay, I dare you to prank call Leo," she said.

"You're on," I replied. I dialed Leo's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" he said after the second ring.

"Hello, I'm looking for an Ivana. Last name Tinkle," I said. "Is there anyone by that name there?"

"No, there isn't," he said. "I'm afraid you've dialed the wrong number."

"Can't you just check again?" I asked.

"No, because there's no one by that name here," he insisted. "You'll have to try a different number."

Okay, that didn't work well. I was about to hang up when he said, "Oh, and a word of advice, Lucy. Never try and prank call your brother."

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"You forgot that Don put caller ID on our Shell Cells," he answered.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," I said. "Well, April dared me to do it."

"Nice try," he said, and I could almost see the smile on his face. "See you later, Lucy."

I hung up and turned to April. "That was so not fair," I complained.

"Hey, you wanted a dare, and I gave it to you," she said. "Now, how about if we watch a movie?"

"Sure," I answered. I rifled through her DVDs until I picked one I liked. "How about this one?"

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," April mused. "Yeah, I like that movie. Let's put it in."

So, we ended up watching the movie. I hadn't read the books yet, but April promised to lend them to me. We both cried when Tibby begged Bailey to take the Pants and put them on. That was such a heartfelt scene. After the movie was over, I decided it was time to go home. I didn't want Leo to lecture me about not getting home at a decent hour. I said goodbye to April and promised to hang out with her again.

When I got home, Raph was waiting up for me. "Did you have fun at April's?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "Why are you up waiting for me?"

"Leo wanted to wait up, but I told him I'd do it," he answered. "I figured you'd had enough of the lectures about bein' home at a decent hour."

I smiled. "Well, thanks for that," I said.

"No problem," he replied. "It must be nice havin' someone you can relate to."

"It is," I said. "April's just so awesome to be with. We have so much fun together."

"Yeah, I bet you do," he said. "Well, I'm headin' to bed. Goodnight, sis."

"Goodnight, Raph," I replied. I could tell that Raph was jealous of my relationship with April, though I knew he'd never admit it. I think he longed to have someone else to confide in other than his family, and it eventually happened when he met Casey Jones. For Raph, Casey could really relate to his temper problem because Casey had one, too, though it was often worse than Raph's.

I must admit, I wasn't a fan of Casey Jones at first. He often had the habit of saying some inappropriate things in my presence which made me uncomfortable. He even mistook me for a boy when he met me, until Raph set him straight. I think he felt bad about that for a long time and apologized right after the mistake. Soon, he learned to tone down the jokes while I was present, and I eventually began to really like him. He wasn't a bad person, he just had a bad habit of speaking before thinking. Most of the time, Raph would hang out at his place. We would sometimes travel together and then go our separate ways. I actually liked spending time with Raph when he wasn't being so guarded around the others. It was nice.

One night, I was watching television and waiting for Raph to get home. Leo had wanted to stay up, but I volunteered to do so, thinking it would be better for Raph if I was up waiting for him. When he came in, he smiled at the sight of me sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Raph, how was your guy's night with Casey?" I asked him.

"Great," he said. "Let me guess, you volunteered to stay up so Leo wouldn't have to."

"Yep," I replied. "Besides, I got back from April's before you anyway."

"And how was your girl's night with her?" he asked me.

"Pretty good," I said. "Well, I'm heading to bed. Goodnight, Raph."

"Goodnight, sis," he replied.

It was really awesome that both of us had found good friends to confide in. April and Casey were our kindred spirits, and we knew that we could count on them. In the future, we thanked our lucky stars that we had people like them in our lives because things would get complicated for us later on, and we'd need our friends more than ever. What amazed me was that even with all the dangers that threatened us, April and Casey stood by our sides the whole time. They could have abandoned us and let us deal with it all on our own, but they didn't. To me, that signified just how precious our friendship with them was and how it would never die no matter what.

A/N: So, now they've met April and Casey. I really wanted April to seem like a kindred spirit to Lucy since she's the only girl in the family. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Growing Up

A/N: I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I seriously cannot believe the reception I've gotten for this story. When I first wrote it, I really thought that it wouldn't get a lot of praise and that people would hate it. However, that's not the case, and I'm very thankful that all of you have stuck with it and given me the confidence to continue. While reviews are not the be-all end-all of writing my stories, they have given me a great morale boost. So, thanks to all of you for sticking with this and giving me the encouragement to continue this story. It means so much to me that you like it. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: See chapter one. I also do not own the dialogue from "The Shredder Strikes part 2."

Change is often a part of daily life. If one does not change, one cannot grow. I have encountered many changes in my life from leaving Japan to come to America to the death of my beloved Master Yoshi to the adoption of my children and to the mutation that changed all of us. However, there is one such change that, though I had foreseen, I did not fully prepare for it.

My children were growing up.

Such a change is inevitable, but I knew that with my children approaching their teenage years, there were some things they needed to know. I had withheld information from them because I did not want to expose them to the horrors I had endured as I watched my beloved Master die. I did not want to fill their hearts with hate and have their training tainted with that feeling. Yes, I had been training them solely to avenge my Master Yoshi, but as time passed, I realized that I was training them to defend themselves against my enemies.

Each time I braced myself to tell them the truth, something in me stopped the words from coming. I realized that it was my desire to protect them from the horrors of my world. And yet, I knew that one day they would have to be told the truth of what had happened to my Master. They would have to be told the truth about what I went through that night and how finding them had saved me from a terrible fate. If it had not been for that accident and my desire to save the five turtles, I believe I would have let Death take me.

And so, the years passed, and I did not tell my children the truth though I wanted to many times. I continued to pretend that everything was all right and that their training was for fun rather than the real reason I intended for it to be. My children remained oblivious to how I felt and continued to train because it was what I wanted. The guilt weighed heavily on my mind each time, but I pushed it back, reminding myself that this was for their protection.

Then, Leonardo ran into Oroku Saki and was given an offer to join him. As soon as I heard my son's story, I felt worse than ever. If I had told them of Saki's true nature years ago, Leonardo would not have been tempted to join him, for he would have known what this man had done. I sighed after Leonardo finished and closed my eyes. A burden I had been carrying for all these years weighed me down, but I steeled myself against it.

My children looked at me in concern, wondering what had caused me to react like that. Then I told them the truth of what had transpired the night that my beloved Master Yoshi died. I told them that it was by Saki's hand that my Master fell that night. My children listened to the story, their eyes widening in shock. I believe they were surprised that such a revelation had come to light and that I knew more than I had told them before. I reassured them of the reasons that I had not told them this tale. Donatello and Michelangelo's faces registered shock, while Raphael's registered anger, and Leonardo's registered guilt. But Lucia's face registered betrayal. Her eyes filled with tears after I finished my story. I wanted to take her in my arms the way I used to when my children were little and tell her that everything would be all right. But I knew that such a thing would never be all right.

"How could you?" she whispered. "How could you lie to us?"

"Lucia, please understand that it was never my intention to lie to you," I told her. "I was only trying to protect you."

She did not answer but rose from her seated position and left the Lair. I tried to call her back, but she did not listen. I sighed heavily, knowing that Lucia would probably never trust me again.

"I'll go after her, Sensei," Leonardo said quietly. "I'll bring her back."

I nodded, and he bowed to me and left. I looked at my other sons, wondering if they felt as betrayed as Lucia. However, none of them expressed anything to convey that they were cross with me. Instead, they rose and left to go do various activities. I went back to my chambers to meditate on everything I had told them. I only hoped that Lucia would forgive me for my actions.

A little while later, I heard the Lair door open as Leonardo and Lucia returned. I heard some muffled conversation and heard Lucia head upstairs to bed. Leonardo approached my door and knocked before entering.

"Is she all right?" I asked him anxiously.

"Lucy's fine, Sensei," he replied. "I talked to her about it and reassured her that your intentions weren't malicious. You were just trying to protect us."

"You are not angry with me, my son?"

He shook his head. "No, Master Splinter, I'm not," he responded. "I know that you were just trying to train us without hate. If anything, you should be mad at me for almost deserting our clan. I failed you, Sensei, and I am truly sorry." He hung his head in an expression of guilt and shame. "I did not comport myself like a true leader. If you want to take that title away from me, I understand."

I placed a paw on his head in a gesture of affection. "Leonardo, you have nothing to apologize for," I said. "You had no intention of turning your back on our clan. You have not failed anyone tonight, my son. Your intentions were pure, and you wanted to believe Saki's words. Do not blame yourself for anything. The blame lies with me and how I kept it all a secret from you. If I had told you sooner, you would not have sought to join him. You are still an exceptional leader and an exceptional student, my son. You will lead your brothers and sister through any trial and protect them as a big brother should. It is I who have failed you, my son, and I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me for it."

Leonardo looked up at me. "Sensei, I don't blame you at all," he said. "You haven't failed any of us, and you have been a wonderful teacher and father. I forgive you for what you did because your intentions were also pure. Please don't feel that you have to blame yourself. I'm sure the others forgive you as well."

"Even Lucia?" I asked him.

"Yes, even Lucy," he replied. "She knows you were only trying to protect us. Don't burden yourself with guilt, Father."

I smiled. "Ah, I see the student has now become the teacher," I teased lightly, and he laughed. "Very well, Leonardo. I will not burden myself with this guilt any longer. But now we must be worried about the Shredder. He is a deadly adversary, and I have a feeling he will not rest until he receives the answer he is looking for."

Leonardo gazed at me, determination filling his eyes. "I'll give him the answer he wants, but he won't like it," he told me. "Don't worry, I won't do it alone. I'll make sure he knows where my loyalty lies."

"Be careful, my son," I cautioned him. "He is not someone to be taken lightly."

"I'll be cautious, Father," he reassured me. "Don't worry."

I smiled and embraced him. "I love you, Leonardo," I said. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Master Splinter," he replied. Then he exited my chambers and went upstairs to bed. After he was gone, I finished meditating and went to bed myself, anxious for the battle that would soon come.

22222

The next day was spent in preparation for the battle that was to commence that night. My children were anxious to end this war and to avenge my Master's death. As much as I was proud of them for wanting to take on this fight, I continued to feel guilty that I was sending them into a fight that was not truly theirs to begin with. When the time came for them to leave, I gathered them together and told them how proud I was of all that they had accomplished. I explained that they needed to be careful and that I had faith that they would come through victorious. They bowed to me in a show of respect and left the Lair. Once they were gone, I offered up a prayer to my Master Yoshi, "Please, protect my children. Shelter them from harm. Do not let the Shredder take them as he took you."

As time passed, I began to grow more and more anxious. Why were they not home? Had something happened to them? I decided to follow them and make sure they were all right. I was not going to let them fight my battles for me. This was my fight, not theirs, and I was not going to lead my children into slaughter. The time for lies and deception had come to an end. It was time for me to face my foe and exterminate him.

I followed my students' scent until I encountered Raphael. He told me that the others had been separated from him. I urged him along, determined to find my other children. Then we came upon Donatello and Michelangelo. Donatello was supporting Michelangelo, who had an injured ankle. I knew we would have to move quickly and produced the remote to the Battle Shell. We were about to make our escape when we were surrounded by Foot Ninjas. Donatello and Raphael began to fight while I tried to activate the remote. However, I did not remember the button to activate the vehicle. I remembered Donatello instructing me how to operate it, but I could not remember the color of the button. After a few failed attempts, I handed the remote to my intelligent son.

"Donatello, you will drive," I said. "I will fight." Then while Donatello activated the remote, I dispatched of the Foot Ninjas. The Battle Shell came to us, and we immediately went inside. Donatello began driving, trying to locate Leonardo and Lucia. Soon, we spotted Lucia fighting some Foot Ninjas. Raphael aided her and followed her back to the vehicle.

"Am I glad to see you guys," she commented as she came into the Battle Shell. "Where's Leo?"

"We haven't found him yet," Donatello replied.

A look of worry crossed Lucia's face, but I put a paw on her shoulder. "Do not worry, Lucia," I assured her. "Leonardo is capable of taking care of himself."

Before she could respond, Donatello reported that he had found Leonardo. He emerged from an alley, smiling as he saw us. He turned to introduce us to someone but found that no one was there. He shrugged his shoulders and climbed into the van.

"Good to have you back, Leo!" Michelangelo exclaimed.

"We were all pretty worried," Donatello added.

"Yes, but now you are all safe," I replied. "Now, we must take care of the Shredder once and for all. It will not be easy ("You can say that again," said Raphael), but I believe we can do it."

"And how are we going to do it, Master Splinter?" Leonardo asked.

"Sit still," I answered.

"I don't know, Master Splinter," Michelangelo said doubtfully. "Sitting still isn't one of our strong points." I gave him a stern look, and he backtracked quickly. "Okay, sitting still it is. I like sitting still. Sitting still's good."

Soon, I sensed the presence of the Shredder and instructed my students to exit the van. We made our way to the rooftop and waited for the Shredder to come. When he did, my children were ready and fought valiantly. It looked as though they would be victorious until Shredder backed them into a corner. He was ready to makea killing blow until I leapt down and stopped it.

"You destroyed my family once," I declared. "I will not allow you to do so again."

Shredder growled. "No man, or freak, shall defeat me," he replied. He swiped at me with his gauntlet, but I dodged the blow. I fought valiantly, thoughts of my Master and my children entering my head. I was not going to allow this man to harm my family. While dodging him, he sliced part of the water tower, which gave me an idea. I skillfully wove my way in and out of the supports, dodging every blow the Shredder threw at me. Before I knew it, the tower's supports had been cut, and the tower began to descend right onto the Shredder. He screamed in rage, but it did not matter. The tower fell on him, crushing him. I hurried to the side of the roof and looked down at his broken body.

"Master Splinter!" Leonardo exclaimed, awed that I had won the battle.

"Are you okay?" Michelangelo asked in concern.

I sighed and turned to my students. "My children, we have avenged my Master's death," I said. "Let us go home."

My students smiled at me and followed me home. All was well within our family. The Shredder had been killed, and I felt that we would be safe from harm. He would no longer be a threat, and I could relax knowing that my Master's murderer had been dealt the justice that was meant for him.

However, as we were to find out, things did not go the way we had planned. Shredder was not done with us, and his plan for revenge would nearly cost the life of one of my beloved children.

A/N: I kind of changed this up a bit because I often found that it was a plot hole that Splinter suddenly was confused about where the Turtles were when Leo had declared that they were going to fight Shredder in front of him. So, I decided to fix that and make it seem a bit more plausible to fit my universe. I also used some of the dialogue from "The Shredder Strikes Part 2" because I felt it would fit nicely. Feel free to leave a review once you've finished reading, and have a shelltastic day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Misconceptions

A/N: Wow. I can't thank you readers enough for sticking with this story. Your kind words are really helpful and are really giving me a boost in confidence to continue this. Thanks so much for sticking with this. It means so much to me. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Misconceptions are common in the world. Everyone has misconceptions about so many things in life. I guess it's always been the same for our family. Raph always believed for the longest time that I couldn't do what he and the others could do because of my gender. Mikey has always been stereotyped as being dumb and not very serious, but he has moments where he can be serious and thoughtful when he wants to be. Don has always been seen as a pacifist and not a good fighter, but he's just as good as any of us, even if he may not like it as much. These misconceptions lasted for a time until we began to see how wrong each of them were.

But I think the biggest misconception we had was about Leo. We always thought Leo was the fearless one, never afraid of anything or anybody. Growing up, we never thought that Leo had any fear as he faced things that most of us were afraid to do. That's why Raph had given him the nickname of Fearless. Little did we know that Leo once was afraid of something and that it would be revealed in a way none of us had seen coming.

It all started when Leo was on a training run. We were staying at April's because the sewers were flooded with Foot Ninjas, and we didn't want to risk leading any of them to our Lair. So, while the rest of us were asleep, Leo had gotten up and had gone on a short training run. We didn't think anything of it as he sometimes did this. But as the day wore on, I began to have a bad feeling, and I could tell that Master Splinter did, too. Even Don and Mikey began to worry a little bit, and Raph wanted to go out and find him. Splinter wouldn't allow it and ordered Raph to stay where he was.

I could sense that something wasn't right, though I couldn't put my finger on it. Mikey began to voice his concern again, and Don agreed with him. I looked at Father, wondering what he would say.

Splinter sighed. "Go," he said.

But before we could leave, Leo crashed through the window. April and I screamed in shock, and we all hurried to his side. Raph asked him what happened, and he said that Shredder was back. Well, we knew right then and there that no good could come of this. Before we could get Leo to safety, Foot Ninjas made their way into the shop, causing us to battle to get Leo to safety. It seemed like we would never get out, and then things were made worse when Shredder actually came. While we knew Leo would never lie to us, it was still shocking to see him alive like that. So, we fought him, but we weren't making any progress. Finally, we had to retreat into a freezer, which didn't make Raph happy.

I knelt down next to my wounded brother. "It's gonna be okay, Leo," I reassured him, though I wasn't sure if he could hear me. "We're gonna get you out of here."

Mikey tried to open the door, but it was jammed. Then Raph said that he smelled smoke, and Don added that he smelled gas. We realized that the building was going to blow up and tried to break our way out. That's when April remembered a secret passageway out of the shop. Raph forced it open with his sai, and we all ran out of the shop and got to safety just as it exploded.

Now there was the question of where we would go from here. We couldn't go into the Lair since Foot Ninjas were in the sewers. That was when Casey suggested his grandmother's old farmhouse. We figured there was nowhere else for us to go, so we agreed. Casey had a trailer attached to his truck that all of us rode in. It was really cold, and we only had one blanket each, which didn't lend us much warmth.

"Man, it sucks being cold-blooded," Mikey declared as he shivered.

Don was more concerned about Leo. "Is he gonna make it, Sensei?" he asked.

"Only time will tell," Splinter replied.

When we arrived at the farmhouse, we immediately got Leo inside and settled in first. He never made a sound, and I was afraid that he'd never wake up, though I didn't want to voice that thought out loud. Mikey and Casey left to get some wood for the fire while the rest of us just watched over Leo.

After a little while, Leo showed no signs of waking up, and I could tell all of this waiting was getting to Raph, who finally asked why Leo wasn't waking up. Splinter explained that healing took time and that Leo was suffering from not only physical wounds, but spiritual wounds as well. Don had the idea of all of us telling stories to see if we could snap him out of it. I thought it was a good idea and listened as Don told the story of the remote control car and how Leo had saved him from nearly drowning. I remembered that day because both of them had been wet, and I asked them what had happened. They didn't tell me, but I suspected that something must have happened.

Then Mikey told the story of how he tried to distract Leo from his katas. Yeah, I remembered that, too, because I was trying so hard not to laugh at Mikey's antics. It was just so hilarious when Leo bested him. I remember saying, "Too bad, Mikey. I guess you'll have to try again next time."

Raph's story was also interesting as he told about how Leo had rescued him from an albino crocodile while playing a game of Follow the Leader. After Raph told the story, tears filled his eyes at the thought of losing his brother. I knew Raph and Leo were really close, but things had changed once we got older and began training. Once Leo had been named the leader, he and Raph sort of drifted apart as Leo kept trying to perfect his skills and tried to get us to do the same. I think Raph was remembering all of the fights he'd had with Leo and how stupid they seemed now. I think he wanted to make it up to Leo if he came out of this.

My story was about how Leo helped me when I was having trouble with my katas. Though he sometimes seems harsh at times now when he would do katas with us, back then he was very patient with me. I remember feeling so frustrated about not getting it right, and Leo just gently reassured me that I would get it with practice. It made me feel good to know that he was there for me, and I reiterated that fact when I was talking to him. "If you leave us, it won't be the same," I concluded. "Please don't leave us, Leo. We need you."

But it was Splinter's story that really surprised us and changed our perception of our brother. He told the story of how Leo was once scared of heights when he was younger and how Splinter had helped him to overcome that fear. We were all shocked because we never thought that Leo was scared of anything. He'd never shown fear before and had always met any challenges put in front of him. To hear that he was scared of heights once made him seem different to me but not in a bad way. It made him seem more real to me rather than just someone we put on a pedestal who could do no wrong.

And then, Leo woke up. It made us all happy to see that he'd fought his way back to us. Splinter declared that he had done well and that now he needed his rest. As we were leaving, I heard Raph say, "Hey, Leo, if you need anything, I'll be right outside."

Once we were out of earshot of Leo, I whispered to Raph, "You aren't going to make fun of him, are you?"

"For what?" Raph asked.

"For his fear," I replied.

"No, I wouldn't dream of it," he said. "We all got fears, and it's not right to judge anyone else because of it."

"Well, that's good," I said. "And you're right. After all, you're afraid of bugs."

"I am NOT afraid of bugs," he insisted. "I just don't like them."

I giggled. "Keep telling yourself that, Raphie boy," I said.

Raph rolled his eyes but said nothing more. I was surprised he was so speechless. Usually, he had a retort ready, but maybe he was too worried about Leo to do anything. Splinter said that we all had to go to bed, but Raph wanted to stay up with Leo. I could tell Father wasn't going to let up on this and told him to go to bed immediately and that Father would sit up with Leo. Raph wasn't happy about that, but he knew better than to argue.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but think about Leo's fear of heights. It really made me think of him in a different way. I decided that once he was better, I would talk to him about it and why he kept it a secret from us.

22222

As the days passed, Leo grew stronger. His healing process was slow, but he was determined to gain back his strength and get back into fighting shape. Some days were easier than others, but Leo kept on going. One day, when the others were outside enjoying the nice weather, I decided to stay with Leo, who wanted to stay inside. I saw him looking out the window and joined him.

"It's nice out, isn't it?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it is," he said.

"Why don't you want to go out?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't feel like it," he answered.

I could understand that. "If you want to be alone, I can leave," I offered.

"No, that's okay," he said hastily. "I don't want you to leave. I like your company."

I smiled when he said that. Then what I wanted to know crossed my mind, so I decided to ask him. "Leo, why didn't you tell us?"

Leo was puzzled. "Tell you what?" he asked.

"Why didn't you tell us about your fear of heights?" I prodded.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess I just didn't want you guys to make fun of me for it. I figured that after I overcame it, it didn't matter anymore. I didn't think you needed to know. Maybe it was just because of the façade I wanted to keep up of being fearless. But now you all know the truth. So, do you hate me for it? Do you think I'm a coward?"

I gave him a hug. "No, I don't think any of those things," I replied. "I think you're just normal. It's okay to have fears about things, Leo. It doesn't make you a coward or weak. You're just like everyone else, and that's okay. The others don't think badly of you either."

"But it changes their perception of me, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but not in a bad way," I told him. "It just shows them that you're just like anyone else and that you aren't any different than they are. Besides, they'd be hypocrites to make fun of you when they have their own fears."

Leo smiled. "Yeah, that's true," he said. "And if they do make fun of me, I can always get them back with their fears, too."

I laughed. "Yeah, you can," I told him. "And don't worry, I won't tease you."

"Thanks, Lucy," he said. "That means a lot coming from you."

I laughed and hugged him. It felt good to talk about things like this. I felt relieved at knowing that Leo had done it for a good cause, even though he should have told us before. I think that everyone has misconceptions about someone in their lives and that it's up to us to really look deep down and see that we're all really the same in some ways. And even if one has fears, it doesn't make them weak or a coward. The best thing one can do is overcome them, and that's just what Leo did. That's why I admire him so much, and I hope that I can overcome my fear just as he did his. Maybe I'll have to ask him to help me.

A/N: Well, that's the end of another chapter. What did you think? I could've expanded more, but I thought that this would be a good way to end it. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


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